Many of you may have wondered why I named my golden retriever Gatsby. After all, it’s not very traditional, but it suits him perfectly. As a high school teacher my all-time favorite novel to teach was The Great Gatsby, which truly illustrates the American dream, particularly the symbolic green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. At the close of Chapter One, the narrator Nick first encounters Jay Gatsby and observes:
“He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.”
The green light represented Jay Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for the future. For him it was a beacon that pointed to his great love, Daisy. Jay Gatsby was forever hopeful and willing to do anything necessary to win Daisy’s affection. He did not take “NO” for an answer, and although his story ended tragically, he never stopped believing in the green light.
To me the green light means GO! GO after your life goals. My golden Gatsby is my anchor and inspires me to always move forward in the direction of my dreams. Gatsby is my true north and keeps me grounded moving in a positive direction. As you all know some days are better than others, some things work out perfectly, while others do not turnout as planned. But no matter what happens, I know when I walk through the door Gatsby’s golden smile of hope is there to greet me.
Gatsby has also given me loads of confidence, which is paramount to conquering my life goals. He encourages me to meet new people, while we explore the city together. And forget about internet matchmaking ladies, a dog like Gatsby is a natural conversation starter! Not to mention we’re so active he keeps me in amazing shape. He’s also my su chef in the kitchen and motivates me to come up with loads of delicious, healthy recipes for human and canine alike.
Overall, Gatsby is a daily reminder to shake off all of the things I cannot control, believe in myself and just GO! He truly is The Great Gatsby. 🙂
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